Capital Area Visitor Services

About the NC Executive Mansion and Gardens

Tour Options

• The 2025 Fall schedule for the Executive Mansion and Mansion Gardens has been approved!
• The 2026 Spring schedule is not yet approved.

Guided Interior Mansion Tours

• Guided Interior Mansion tours are a 30-minute time commitment
• Guided Tours are only available on Wednesdays and Thursdays from September 10^th until November 13^th
• Available tour times: 10AM, 10:30AM, 2PM, 2:30PM, and 3PM
• Interior tours are 30 minutes long
• 50 people maximum per tour group
• 5 people minimum per tour group; if your group is smaller you must email Dutchie Sexsmith for approval

• Guided Garden tours are a 60-minute time commitment
• Wednesday Guided Tours are reserved for children and student groups
• Thursday Guided Tours are reserved for adult groups
• Tours are only available from October 1st until November 6^th on Wednesdays and Thursdays
• Garden tours will occur rain or shine

Virtual Tour of the NC Executive Mansion

You can prepare your students in advance with a virtual tour of the NC Executive Mansion, hosted on the DNCR's YouTube Page

Schedule Adjustments and Closures

Blackout Dates for Interior Tour

• 9/17/2025 and 11/12/2025 cannot be booked

2025 Holiday Open House Dates

Open House Holiday Programs do not require reservations and are not accepted 

• December 11th: 5PM to 9PM
• December 12th: 10AM to 5PM
• December 13th: 10AM to 5PM

Know Before You Go

Address

• The Executive Mansion is located at 200 N. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC
• There is no parking at this site

Arrival Instructions

• You must arrive 10 minutes ahead of your tour time at the Mansion’s front gate, near the two flagpoles
• Upon entry, the group leader will confirm your group’s booking information
• All group members are required to go through a brief security check

Accessibility

• A lift is available for visitors using a wheelchair or walker to access the front entrance
• Tour consists of the first floor only
• With advance notice and approval by Mansion security, groups with mobility limitations may request drop off inside the gate

About the NC State Capitol

Tour Options

School and large group tours

• Guided Tours are a 30-minute time commitment
• Groups must consist of 10 to 35 people, including chaperones
• A maximum of 10 groups can visit per day
• Tours are available Tuesday to Friday, from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm (excluding holidays)
• Tour times: 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, and 3:00.

Capitol Grounds Scavenger Hunt

• A printable PDF with QR codes is available for groups unable to reserve guided tours
• Groups using the scavenger hunt cannot enter the building during guided tours
• Follow the link to download the Capitol Area scavenger hunt worksheet PDF prior to your trip
• Participants need a smart phone or tablet device to scan QR codes on the worksheet

Summer Tours 

• Summer Guided tours are available June 24th through July 22, 2025 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 1 PM
• Suitable for school-age children through adult groups (not recommended for daycare or preschool students).

Weekend Tours

• Self-guided tours are available on Saturdays from 10AM to 5PM
• Free public guided tours are offered at 11AM and 2PM no reservations are needed

Schedule Adjustments and Closures

2025

• June 15^th: No tours
• July 4^th: Open with modified schedule
• September 16^th: No tours
• October 17^th: No tours
• November 24^th – 28^th: No tours
• December 11^th – 13^th: Open House
• December 22^nd – 31^st: No tours

2026

• January 1^st – 2^nd: No tours
• January 16^th: No tours
• April 2^nd – 3^rd: No tours
• May 21^st – 22^nd: No tours
• May 25^th: No tours
• July 1^st – 4^th: No tours

Know Before You Go

Address

1 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27601

Arrival Instructions

• Arrive 10 minutes before your tour starts
• Only one adult enters the State Capitol to check in the group and provide separate counts of students & chaperones to staff
• Students wait outside at the bottom of the steps until the tour begins

Accessibility

• Handicapped Visitors and Seniors may be dropped off at the Capitol Grounds roundabout facing Edenton Street
• The State Capitol is a historic building and has uneven stairs and limited elevator access to certain floors
• Five-marked accessible parking spaces are available in a visitor lot on the corner of Edenton and Wilmington streets
• The entrance to the State Capitol has a ramp
• The first-floor men’s restroom is accessible, and women may request to use the accessible first-floor staff restroom.
• The building has an elevator with access to the second floor
• There is no elevator access to the third floor

Hearing impaired 

Tour materials are available in writing

Vision impaired

• With one week’s advanced notice, the staff will provide a touch tour.
• The Capitol grounds contain bronze objects that provide a tactile experience.

About the NC Legislative Building 

The North Carolina General Assembly uses the Legislative Building, visit where laws are made

Tour Options

• Guided tours are available Monday through Friday
• Self guided tours are available
• Tour times are 9AM to 3:30PM in 30-minute increments

• The Legislative Building is open to the public year-round Monday – Friday, 8AM to 5PM Monday, except on state holidays

Virtual Tour

You can see the Legislative Building on a Virtual Tour hosted on the General Assembly's YouTube page

Schedule Adjustments and Closures

• The Legislative Building is closed to the public on state holidays
• The Legislature will take a recess which will impact field trip availability

Know Before You Go

Address

16 W Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Arrival Instructions

• Gather your students in a single-file line behind the visitors and guests sign at the front entrance of the building located on Jones Street.
• Enter through the door marked appropriately for registration.
• Teachers are solely responsible for registering their groups. Teachers must come to the front desk to register, receive classroom materials and touring instructions, and then meet their Building Guide. Students will then join the Teacher and Building Guide.
• Parents, adults, and chaperones should not be responsible for any part of registration.

Security and Screening

• The Legislative Building requires all visitors – students, teachers, parents, adults, and chaperones – to complete security screening upon entry to the building. The Building Guide will lead the group into the screening area. The required order of screening is the teacher, students, and lastly parents, adults, and chaperones.
• Students can accelerate this procedure by leaving all nonessential items such as backpacks, cell phones, and souvenirs on their respective buses. Medical items are permitted. Any extra items not left on the bus become the 2 or 3 chaperone’s responsibility outside while the tour takes place.
• We recommend following the above-listed procedures carefully, as any failure to follow the above guidelines may result in a delay for your group.

Prohibited Items

• Aerosol containers
• Electric stun guns, martial arts weapons or devices
• Knives of any size
• Mace and pepper spray
• Guns, replica guns, ammunition, and fireworks
• Any weapon facsimile
• Razors and box cutters
• Pets or animals (guide and assistance animals are permitted)
• Batons and nightsticks
• Signs on hand-sticks
• Any other item or device that can be considered a dangerous weapon 

Accessibility

• Accessible entrance on Jones Street with an automatic door
• Elevators serve all levels with controls mounted 42 inches high
• Benches and seats available for waiting or resting
• Public gallery designed to accommodate wheelchairs
• Accessible restrooms are available on all floors
• Emergency alarms have visual signals

About the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh

Tour Options

• Self-guided tours are a 2-hour time commitment
• Groups have opportunities to walk-up to special programs, prior to booking your trip check out the program schedule to connect the visit to your curriculum

Virtual Tour

The Museum offers many floors and exhibit spaces that cover a wide-range of curriculum. If you want to prepare in advance, you can follow the link to the Virtual Tours of the gallery spaces. 

Permanent Exhibitions

Review the Museum's Permanent Exhibitions to better prepare your class visit 

Movie Bookings or Special Programs, Tours, and Exhibitions

• Special Programs must be scheduled at least 4 weeks in advance
• Contact the Museum Box Office at (919) 707-9950 to schedule and purchase tickets for your group’s movie and/or special exhibition tour
• A list of Fee-Based, Curriculum-Correlated Programs is on the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ On-Site Programs Web Page. Click on each program title for details, fees, and other requirements.
• Programs listed as “Prairie Ridge” are held at our Prairie Ridge Ecostation location, near the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA).

Schedule Adjustments and Closures 

• Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Monday Tours are only available May 26th through September 1, 2025. 

Museum Closures in 2025

• Wednesday, January 1st
• Tuesday, January 14–Friday, January 17
• Sunday, April 20
• Thursday, November 27
• Wednesday, December 24
• Thursday, December 25

Know Before You Go 

Address 

11 West Jones Street, Raleigh, N.C., 27601

Arrival Instructions

• The Lead Teacher enters the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to check in their group and provide separate counts of students & chaperones to staff.
• The remainder of the group waits outside near the bottom of the steps until chaperones reviewed rules with students.
• After orientation, the group will enter to begin self-guided experience. 

Restrooms

Restrooms are located on the lobby level of the Museum. 

Accessibility

The North Carolina Museum of Science aims to provide a friendly, accessible and welcoming environment for all our visitors by providing the most access to our building, exhibitions, events and programs.

• Contact the accessibility coordinator by email a week before your tour to secure an interpreter or accessible materials. Day of requests may not be available based on scheduling requirements.
• Beacons provide independent wayfinding of the Nature Research Center via the BlindSquare Event iOS App. You can download the app to your Apple device by visiting the BlindSquare App in the iTunes Store

Vision Impaired

• Sighted Guides are available
• Guided Tactile Tours are available for free to small groups visiting the Museum.

Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders

• Guests with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders can request sensory maps, noise-cancelling headphones, a quite space, and sensory-friendly events.

About North Carolina Freedom Park

“The goal is a public art tribute to freedom as expressed through the African American experience. It will be called [North Carolina Freedom Park] and will be located in the heart of the state capital as a continuing reminder of the struggles for freedom—and how much more we need to do to achieve equity and justice in our society.” — John Hope Franklin (1915–2009), historian

North Carolina Freedom Park is a one-acre commemorative park located in downtown Raleigh. It honors the African American struggles and triumphs in pursuit of freedom throughout North Carolina’s history. Its pathways are beautifully carved with the Voices of Freedom, powerful words of African Americans who were denied freedom over the last two centuries. These words will enlighten and inspire all who reflect on them. The Beacon of Freedom is the gleaming centerpiece of the park. Standing 45 feet tall, this architectural sculpture beckons all who see it to wander down the five walkways and contemplate it in awe.

Tour Options

• Reservations are not required but encouraged to maximize space and rotation with other groups
• Visitors can spend a wide range of time at the park, from a 10-minute stroll through the paths to a 45-minute on-site teaching activity, depending on their goals. 

Know Before You Go

Address

NC Freedom Park is centrally located in the heart of the state government complex at the corner of Wilmington and Lane Streets in Raleigh

Parking

• Public parking is available via several pay lots throughout the Capital area
• Buses have designated areas for parking

Preparing Students for Historic Themes, Concepts, and Language

NC Freedom Park offers students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the struggles of past visionaries and find inspiration in the resistance, resilience, and perseverance they demonstrated. 

Through thoughtful planning, engaging activities, and meaningful follow-up, teachers can ensure students extract the maximum educational value from their park experience.

Specific Terms and Concepts

Students should be explicitly instructed before encountering historical terms at the Park, such as “colored” and “Negro,” which are marked below with an * to emphasize that these words are no longer appropriate to use outside of discussions of historical documents.

• Abolitionist
• Bush Arbor
• Civil Rights Activist
• Colored*
• Emancipation
• Jim Crow
• Negro*
• Refugee
• Segregation
• Slavery
• Suffrage
• United States Colored Troops

Online Educational Resources

Access the individual website links or PDFs below to make a field trip to NC Freedom Park an immersive and impactful learning adventure that goes beyond just a day away from the classroom

• Preparing for a Fieldtrip to North Carolina Freedom Park
• An Introduction to North Carolina Freedom Park
• North Carolina Freedom Park Field Notebook Instructions
  • North Carolina Freedom Park Field Notebook (ENGLISH PRINTABLE)  [PDF]
  • North Carolina Freedom Park Field Notebook (SPANISH PRINTABLE) [PDF]
• The Leaders Behind the Words: NC Freedom Park’s “Voices of Freedom”
• Primary Source Analyzation at North Carolina Freedom Park  [PDF]
• Prompts & Strategies for Discussion & Reflection
• Processing Activities & Projects for NC Freedom Park
• Tips for Tackling Sensitive History [PDF]
• Standards Alignment for NC Freedom Park Lessons and Activities  [PDF]

About the NC Museum of History

Exciting Changes Underway!

The North Carolina Museum of History is embarking on a transformative journey that will redefine how visitors experience the state’s rich history. As part of this project, the physical museum building is closed to the public for an exciting makeover that will last two to three years.

The renovation will usher in a new era for the museum, with reimagined exhibits and interactive experiences that offer deeper insights into North Carolina’s vibrant past. As construction progresses, you can stay connected through virtual and in-person programs, social media, and newsletter updates.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page via the button below to learn more about the renovation process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tour Options

• When the Museum of History Reopens for tours, this page will update with tour options and reservation instructions 

Schedule Adjustments and Closures

The Museum of History is currently closed for renovation.

Know Before You Go:

Address

5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, N.C., 27601

Arrival Instructions

• When the Museum of History Reopens for tours, this page will update with arrival instructions

Accessibility

• New Accessibility information will be posted after the renovations are complete